

Want to know how to become a nurse? How long does it take to become a nurse? What’s the typical registered nurse salary?
You’ve come to the right place.
Figuring out how to become an RN can feel like trying to diagnose a mystery disease.
There are sooo many answers online and dozens of nursing careers.
How can you know if nursing’s right for you if you can’t learn the basic facts?
The short answer?
In two years, you can be wearing bright blue scrubs and earning $50K a year as an RN.
But stay with me to make the smartest choice.
This guide answers:
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How hard is nursing school? Is it hard to become a nurse? How long does it take?
In short, what’s your quickest path to nursing like Ann Traeger?
The good news? Most people can start working as a nurse in just two years, even straight out of high school.
Simple, you say? Well, hang on.
There are lots of different nursing degrees. You’ll need to decide which is right for you.
1 ½–4 years.
It takes 1 ½ years for an accelerated degree (with an existing, unrelated BSN).
An ADN takes 2 years.
A BSN takes 4 years.
An MSN takes up to 7 years.
$40K–$208K.
RNs earn $40K–$80K depending on location and training.
Nurse practitioners and anesthetists earn $90K–$208K.
A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) (same thing but in California or Texas) is technically a “non-registered nurse.” They’re licensed and they have to take the NCLEX-PN exam, but they’re not RNs. Their training can be done in as little as 13 months.
Don’t worry. Learning how to become an RN isn’t as confusing as it sounds. I’ll show the different nursing degrees next.
Pro Tip: What is the difference between a registered nurse and BSN? RN is a title. A BSN (bachelor’s degree) is how to get the title. Another way is an ADN (associate’s degree).
Plan to work as a CNA while you get your degree? Left nurse school and need a resume? See our full guides:
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Step one for how to become a nurse? Get an RN degree.
But which nursing degrees pay the highest registered nurse salary? (The range is $40,000–$80,000.)
This section shows the easiest path and quickest way to earn the highest RN starting salary.
Use any of these three nursing degree programs to get your RN license. There are great online RN programs for all three.
As you’ll see, there are three different answers to, “How long is nursing school?”
An ADN (Associates Degree in Nursing) takes 2 years. Some experts say it’s harder to get hired with an ADN. Others disagree.
pros |
---|
It’s how to become an RN in 2 years. |
Many nurses consider ADNs just as qualified as BSNs. |
Can get it with online RN programs. |
Can upgrade to BSN with online classes in 2 years or less. |
Can advance to MSN (master’s degree) in some nursing programs without BSN. |
cons |
---|
Some employers won’t hire ADNs. |
Harder to advance to higher-paying RN jobs. |
Can’t work in a Magnet certified facility. (8.3% of hospitals.) |
But aren’t ADNs on life support? The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) prefers nurses with bachelor’s degrees. Plus—
Several states introduced legislation to ban ADNs in 2010, but it failed to pass. ADNs are frowned on by some, but a national nursing shortage means they’re here to stay.
The best answer for how to become a registered nurse? Get a BSN. But if you lack the time or money, don’t shy away from an ADN. You can always take BSN nursing classes online.
How do you become an RN fast?
With an Accelerated Degree. It’s a BSN for students who already have non-nursing bachelor’s degrees. It takes 1½–2 years.
pros |
---|
Gets your BSN in 1½–2 years. |
No difference from regular BSN. |
Can be achieved with online RN programs. |
cons |
---|
May require extra prerequisite classes, depending on your original coursework. |
Must have a bachelor’s degree to start. |
A BSN is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It takes 4 years.
pros |
---|
Easier to find a nursing job. |
Easier to earn high pay quicker. |
More options to advance to a master’s degree. |
Only way to work in a Magnet certified facility. (8.3% of hospitals). |
Can be achieved with online RN programs. |
cons |
---|
Takes 4 years to start working as an RN. |
Still no guarantee of getting a job or earning more than an ADN RN. |
Pro Tip: How to become an RN comes down to picking a 2-year or 4-year RN degree. You’ll also take the NCLEX exam before you start the nursing process, I’ll explain that next.
Learning how to become a nurse means getting a nursing job too. Start networking during school to make things easier. See our guide: How to Network Your Way Into a $100000 Job [Real-Life Story]
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Getting an RN degree is step one for how to become a nurse. But—
How do you get an RN license?
No matter which of the three nursing degrees you choose, you need to pass the NCLEX exam. It puts the “registered” in “registered nurse.”
To take the NCLEX:
Register with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCBSN). They’ll send you an Authorization to Test notification.
The NCLEX:
What do nurses do to get ready for the NCLEX? Study hard and take some test prep.
Pro Tip: How long does it take to become a nurse after passing the NCLEX? It’s often automatic, but check nursinglicensure.org. It’ll show if your state has additional requirements for how to become an RN, like a background check.
One more tip for how to become a nurse—write a cover letter. See our guide: Nursing Cover Letter Sample & Complete Writing Guide [15+ Examples]
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
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Ready to don your nursing clogs and start helping patients?
The biggest part of how to become a nurse is earning that RN degree.
Here are 40 best nursing degree programs—for in-person nursing degrees, online RN programs, ADNs, BSNs, MSNs, and accelerated degrees.
The RN programs below are ranked by cost, job placement, washout rate, and other key factors.
Want to know how to become an RN with the most prestigious schools? Here’s a list:
Here’s a complete list of the 50 best nursing degrees/programs in the U.S.
The program you’re accepted to doesn’t have much bearing on your career. Just study hard and be nice. –Steve Dickey, Nurse Practitioner
Need to know how to become a registered nurse online? Don’t stop at the list below. There are hundreds of online RN programs in the U.S.
Here are the 150+ best online nursing degrees/programs in the U.S.
How long does it take to become a nurse? That depends what path you take. The ADN online RN programs below do it in two years.
Here’s the full list of the 25 best 2-year online nursing degrees/programs in the U.S.
Trying to get an RN degree on a budget? Try one of the affordable online RN programs below.
Here’s a list of the 25 most affordable 4-year online nursing degrees/programs in the U.S.
Pro Tip: Nursing school requirements for an ADN or BSN include a high school diploma or GED. You’ll also need to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS).
Applying to different types of nursing jobs means answering interview questions like, “Why do you want to be a nurse?” See our guide for help: Top 25 Nursing Interview Questions & Answers
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There’s a lot more to your career path than simply learning how to become an RN.
Will you stop at RN? Will you specialize to earn six figures? Nursing careers can take you lots of different places.
Got your ADN RN degree but want to upgrade to a bachelor’s?
Hundreds of ADN-to-BSN nursing degrees make it easy to switch.
Nurses with master’s degrees (MSN) can earn registered nurse salary from $90K–$208K. The low-end is for an entry-level Nurse Practitioner. The high-end goes to top-earning nurse anesthetists.
Did you know you can jump straight from 2-year nursing degrees to MSN degrees without a BSN?
Nurse Journal publishes a list of the top 12 RN-to-MSN degree programs.
Nurses need a certain number of CEUs (Continuing Education Units) every year. The amount depends on the state you work in—usually 25–30 hours.
You can fill those units by attending hospital-sponsored trainings, conferences, and online nursing classes.
How Much do Nurses Make? | |
ADN/BSN RN | $40K–$80K |
MSN NP | $90K–$120K |
MSN NA | $150K–$208K |
Pro Tip: What’s the fastest way to become a nurse? With a 1 ½-year accelerated RN degree. It only works if you’ve already got a bachelor’s. Starting from scratch, a 2-year ADN is the quickest way to become a nurse.
Need a resume to get into RN school? See our guide: How to Write a High School Resume for College Application
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Now you know how to become an RN, including the steps to becoming a nurse after high school, how to get an RN license, and how many years it takes to become a nurse.
Here’s a quick recap of how to become a nurse:
Do you have questions on how to become a nurse? Still not sure which degree to go for? Give us a shout in the comments! We’d be happy to reply.
So you need a cover letter. Where do you start? How long should it be? Do yourself a favor: follow our guide on how to write the best cover letter the recruiter has ever seen.
How to write a resume that will get you the job you're looking for? This step-by-step guide will show you the best resume examples, and you can write a resume in a few easy steps.
Interview coming up, and you just don’t know what to expect? Here’s a compilation of the most common interview questions that you might hear and how to answer them.